Kennesaw State University in Georgia, USA has received a $100,000 gift from Indian-American philanthropists Jagdish N. Sheth and Madhuri Sheth. The institution has established Madhuri and Jagdish N. Sheth Marketing Scholarship with the fund. It is designated for undergraduates in the Michael J. Coles College of Business, and would be giving particular consideration to students who are the first in their families to attend college.
The donation is consistent with the Sheths’ long-standing engagement with education and social equity, shaped by personal history, professional influence, and a sustained commitment to public good.
From displacement to discovery
Born in Burma in 1938, Jagdish Sheth and his family were forced to leave during the Japanese invasion in World War II. They resettled as refugees in India, where Sheth completed his schooling in Madras (now Chennai). As a teenager, he founded a local literacy society, where he met Madhuri Shah, who would later become a teacher and his lifelong partner in both life and service.
Sheth came to the United States in the early 1960s to pursue higher education, earning an MBA and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. His academic trajectory was influenced by interests in behavioral psychology and consumer theory. This later led to teaching and research positions at MIT, Columbia, and the University of Illinois. By the mid-1960s, he had co-authored the foundational Theory of Buyer Behavior, which helped define the discipline of consumer marketing.
Over six decades, Professor Sheth has authored more than 300 academic papers and several influential books, taught at institutions across the globe, and mentored generations of business students. He currently serves as the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and was a founding faculty member of IIM Calcutta. In recognition of his scholarly contributions, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 2020.
Madhu and Jagdish Sheth | Photo Credit: Sheth Family Foundation
Giving back with a vision
Beyond academia, the Sheths have institutionalized their philanthropic efforts through the Sheth Family Foundation, founded in 2008. The Foundation supports causes in education, health, and sustainability, with a geographic focus on metro Atlanta, India, and several global universities. Their network of giving spans over 60 nonprofit organizations, including the American India Foundation, Ekal Vidyalaya, Akshaya Patra, Carter Center, CARE, American Red Cross, Ashoka Fellowship, and universities such as Emory, the University of Illinois, and the University of Pittsburgh. Their contributions also extend to local organizations like Raksha and the Jain community in Atlanta.
Madhuri Sheth, in her own right, has remained deeply engaged with grassroots initiatives. She is active on the women’s committee of JAINA, a national Jain organization, and leads infrastructure projects at her local Jain Center.
At Kennesaw State, the couple has previously supported awards recognizing international alumni and faculty. Their latest gift reflects an enduring belief that education, when made more accessible, can serve as a reliable catalyst for personal growth and societal change. The scholarship represents not just financial aid, but a continuum of values shaped by migration, mentorship, and sustained civic engagement.
